ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. ball — a dance
  3. squash — the sport
  4. degree — from a university
  5. band — a music group
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. kick — in football
  9. firm — steady
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. degree — temperature
  12. scale — in music
  13. firm — decided
  14. ball — a great time
  15. scale — size or range
  16. fine — all right
  17. band — a ring
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. squash — to crush
  20. fine — high quality
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. firm — a company

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com